Image by Thomas Park on Unsplash

FORE!!!!!!

It’s that time again, time to get out there and start planning or continue arranging your corporate, employee, neighbourhood or charity golf tournament.

As was the case last year, golf will be a major outing for both sport and as a safe outing for you, your company and your clients.

Regardless of your target, and yes we did say neighbours, in order to plan and execute a proper tournament, you should at least flip through the sites we have curated for some tips.

Neighbourhood

Fun is the name of the game. You want your friends to have a great time, and that means it starts with you having a good time planning. Keep it simple, make sure you get some help, and depending on timing, have some good socially-distanced (or not), time together afterwards (like a picnic, or BBQ). Most courses will help you a LOT in your planning and making all the arrangements, they are after all, experts.

Employee

Employee events, like neighbourhood ones, are all about the fun. The best thing is it is usually easier to get help. Remember to ensure your management sponsor is vocal, and the team are not worried about skill level - golf is a game against yourself, not your co-workers. With this type of tournament it is fun to have special goofy prizes, and contests that tackle the sting out of the day for any non-golfers so everyone can have a blast.

Client

Client or Supplier tournaments are great to show off your company's appreciation for both groups of businesses you deal with. While a bit more formal in their preparation and requiring a lot more help and planning, fun is still high on the agenda. You need to make it an event that people remember, talk about highly, and want to attend again. Courses can help with a lot of the work involved with the actual tournament structure and logistics, but you still need to make sure that all the SWAG is right, the communication is timely and all the guest needs are accounted for. The articles below will be especially helpful to you if you have never done it, or as a good reminder if you have. 

Charity  

Charity tournaments are a great blend of Corporate, and Neighbourhood in the way they are managed. Fun is a top consideration, but the focus is still on a well-run tournament that people want to attend year after year, and GIVE to the charity. The biggest wrinkle here is the addition of sponsorship. Prizes and support to pay for the day are required and can be a lot of work for your team. Make sure you leave plenty of time to contact and arrange your prizes and monetary support. In addition, getting the right local or industry celebrities is critical, do this right and you are halfway there to good attendance. SWAG and prizes top off the event and help make it even more memorable.   

We know it’s tough sometimes to get your head around planning and executing, so we put together a great set of assets to help you plan, as well as a bunch of swag to give to the players.

Great articles about planning and running a tournament:

Golf Digest - How to host a golf outing

Royal Ashburn - How to plan a successful Corporate Golf tournament

EventCaddy - How to run a golf tournament  

BestOutings.com - Organizing a successful golf 

Here are some pages with great SWAG, but please do not think this is all, we have tonnes of promotional items you and your sponsors can deliver to your golfers.

Need more help, we have awards, tents and flags and great advice too, just give us a call (905) 361-2925 or email us at [email protected] and we can help you with all your tournament needs.

Photo by Szabo Vikto on unsplash.com

Get outside

That seems to be the trend for the coming spring and summer, and a good one for our health, and our teams’ health. 

And when we say team, we mean your work team and your play team.

Work Team

As we transition back to indoor work, there is still some concern over the amount of time we spend indoor, and not all your staff will feel particularly comfortable in large gatherings indoors for a while yet. Consider outdoors first when planning this year, and let everyone participate with less angst.   

• Company Retreat in the Woods

• Christmas Party in July BBQ

• Quarterly “All Hands” at the Local Soccer field (and make sure to bring a ball for after)

• Small monthly Team meetings at the park down the street (with ice cream?)

• Customer Appreciation event with Food Trucks  

You get where we are coming from, no matter what the event, relieve some stress, improve your employee experience and keep people healthy… get outside!

No matter what your event, we are sure you will find some useful tips here:

MC2 - 5 Ideas for Outdoor Corporate Events in the new Norm

CVENT- Event Planning - Outdoor Events

Work Safety Group - Tips for Safe Group Team Building Activities

Play Team

Your standard summer is filled with outdoor events that are related to your friends, your families, and your communities. They are no less important for your health, and overall well-being, providing great stress relief and especially this year, a social connection to others. 

Children's sports Associations are especially important this year, providing an outlet and that socialization our children need to thrive. For them, and the parents attending the events, we have curated a collection of outdoor items that can help make the events more fun, while flying the colours of your team. You can find them here. 

Whatever you do this Spring, Summer, and Fall, the outdoors are where you need to be.

For more ideas on making your Corporate or Association events/seasons more “YOU”, feel free to give us a call at (905) 361-2925 or email us at [email protected]. We are here to help.

You may wonder, with everything going on, why it is important to keep up your promotional item programs. Here is a short list to help you along. We have also included a number of resources for further reading, and some suggested products as well.

1. Brand Awareness - No matter what is going on in the world, the brand of your company cannot be sacrificed. Your competitors are not stopping, you can’t either. This Mass News article outlines some effective considerations. 

2. Sales - Yes, likely the first reason you want to promote your brand with products that catch the eye. For a good look at how branding can translate into sales, please read this article from Neil Patel.      

3. Consistent Messaging - As this article in IndiaWest proclaims, having your name in front of people consistently is far more effective than social media posts, radio, or even TV ads that are all ‘here now and gone tomorrow’. Selecting unique products to brand, and provide prospects, customers and the general public, are perfect to obtain an ongoing presence in your targets’ minds.  

4. Customer Retention - A “Thank You for your Business” or “Happy Corporate Anniversary” gift, is never unappreciated. We can’t go out and visit clients to thank them or celebrate the events that matter to them YET, but the right gift idea, branded and sent with a personal note can do as well, or better than a visit. For a few Ideas we have a collection here for you to consider. Keeping your customers coming back starts the minute they say ‘yes’ to the first sale.

5. Corporate Citizenship - Help your fellow man - It sounds naive, but more than ever, it is required. There are great examples of companies helping people, and institutions all over the world. Barstool Sports T-Shirt business drive, and Toronto Wildlife Centre selling custom Ts for animals are excellent examples. We have a select line of apparel at significantly reduced pricing for you to help save the world - literally.  

   
   

   If you have an idea you want to explore for your Marketing, Sales or Philanthropic programs, please feel free to call us at (905) 361-2925 or email us at [email protected].

Photo by Daniel Romero on Unsplash

Of course NOT....

OK, we have vaccines, but that does not mean we are finished with the pandemic. Unfortunately, that also means we are not back to normal where Conferences are concerned. It will likely be another year before large in-person events like CES and SWSX will revert to their more traditional format. 

So should we just give up on them? NO, not by any means. Conferences are a very important part of business life providing venues for ideas, places to learn and grow and build experience in your industry.

As part of your virtual event, make sure you don't forget to reward your ‘visitors’ with a grab-bag of awesome branded products after they attend, or bribe them by sending it out before. Here are a few items we believe make the best additions to your Virtual Conference give-away.

Top picks for Virtual Conference gift-bag

A bit more Bang for your gift-bag 

If you want to get some great ideas for how you could run your conference virtually, here is a collection of articles from the past year that will help you.

• Markletic - Your Guide to Virtual Event Gift Bags + Examples (2020) 

• CVent - Virtual Conference 2020: Ideas, Tips, and Tools 

• Learning Revolution - How to Host a Virtual Conference – 10 Tips for Success

• Soliant Consulting - How to Transform Your In-Person Conference into a Virtual Event 

And our favourite

• Hub Spot - How to Run a Successful Virtual Event [+ Examples] 

Good luck with your event, and if you or your sponsors need some help, please call us at (855) 361-2925 or email us at [email protected].

Photo by Laura Ockel on Unsplash

Most people celebrate Valentine's Day with someone they love or care for. It’s a great time to focus on the most important people in our lives.

In the past, some companies celebrated the “Holiday of Love” to show ‘love’ to their staff and clients by throwing parties and having special events that focus on being ‘together’, supporting each other and being a team.

The past 10 months have really stressed the relationship between the company and its employees. Remote work, remote sales, remote everything, all in a scary environment full of uncertainty and fear. Employee engagement is critical for company success, and while companies are getting much better at keeping employees engaged, Valentine’s Day is a great opportunity to do something special for your team, to ensure they know you really CARE about them.

Here are a couple of resources for you to help plan an engaging Valentines Day

• 14 Effective Ways to Show Employees and Co-Workers a Little Valentine’s Day Appreciation

• Have Great Employees? Show a Little Love This Valentine’s Day!

We also have a few gift ideas HERE that may work for your team as well.

If candy is your game, these two items may be of interest as well, please give us a call at (855) 361-2925 or email us at [email protected].

Cheers, and have a wonderful holiday!

Photo by Justin Buisson on Unsplash

2021 is a new beginning in more than one way, this year will see the beginning of a Canada-wide ban on Single Use Plastics. What does this entail? The items being banned for 2021are:

• Grocery Bags

• Straws

• Cutlery

• Stir Sticks

• Six-pack Rings

• Take-out Containers

For some, there is a direct need for products to replace these plastics, and for those, we hear you and can help, for others who may say, “what has that got to do with me? I don’t own a grocery store or restaurant” we have some suggestions for you too.

The opportunity to put your name in front of people here is absolutely massive. Just think how many people will need their own straws, cutlery, and meal containers for their day-to-day life. What better way to keep your brand top-of-mind than having them look at your logo every day they bring their lunch?

As to bags, most people still rely on plastic bags for their grocery and regular retail purchases. Yes there are those that have already made the jump to branded reusable grocery bags, but they are still in the minority when you consider all other forms of shopping that make up regular plastic bag use. Just because you are not a retailer, or a restaurant, does not mean you need to stay out of the bag revolution, there are no rules on who’s bag someone uses - you can be EVERYWHERE with your brand.

Here are some great suggestions to help you see where your opportunities are:

1. Straws and Drinkware 

2. Food Containers 

3. Reusable Bags 

If you are interested in more information on the ban, please see this Chatelaine Article, and if you have any questions on your options, feel free to call us or send us an email at [email protected]

Nolan

Thank you!  Thank you, to everyone who helped someone make it through this last year. We are so grateful to have work with you whether this year or years past. As we head into a New Year, I want to wish everyone and your families an amazing Holiday season. Remember to be grateful and smile. Merry Christmas.

Jesse

Merry Christmas, Happy new year we appreciate your support through this challenging year. We are looking forward to 2021.

Maisha

First & foremost, with my whole heart, a HUGE thank you! What a wild ride it's been for the last 10 months. Although this might sound cliche, we could not have made it through 2020 without YOU, to say the least.

Merry Christmas to you & yours. Here's to 2021 *Cheers!* 

Chris

Just because we have to stay apart, doesn't mean we can't be together. 

Whether it's a zoom call from your living room or singing a Holiday carol while standing on a loved one's driveway, I hope you find your best way to be with the ones you love this holiday season.

Hilary

Merry Christmas from our family to yours! Wishing you all the best in 2021.

Joe

Feliz Navidad!

Maria

Wishing you a safe and Merry Christmas to you and your family.

Sasha

Wishing you a happy and healthy Christmas

Mark

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, mention my holiday wish next time we talk and I'll hook you up ?? LOL

Matt

2021 will be a better year, don't worry about it.

Custom T-Shirts Mississauga

Your marketing endeavor does not always have to be expensive. Simple ideas like custom t-shirts in Mississauga with your company’s logo can go a long way to improve your brand reputation. A company t-shirt is also an effective marketing tool. When your employees wear these t-shirts to events, seminars, or sports tournaments, it helps to promote your brand to a larger audience. Custom t-shirts can be printed for a variety of different reasons. If you are considering custom t-shirts in Mississauga for your business, we encourage you to consider Apparel Promotion today! Read on for more information about the benefits of custom t-shirts.

Request a free online quote for custom t-shirts here!

Simple and cost effective uniforms:

Your marketing endeavor does not always have to be expensive. Simple ideas like printing t-shirts with your company’s logo can go a long way to improve your brand reputation. Custom t-shirts in Mississauga is an effective marketing tool. When your employees wear these t-shirts to events, seminars, or sports tournaments, it helps to promote your brand to a larger audience. You can print custom t-shirts for many purposes.

Help you to stay organized:

Choosing to design custom t-shirts are a great way for any groups or organizations to unify, as well as to keep track of children on school trips. When you design custom t-shirts, you can improve the morale of your group, and help facilitate the bonding process between members! Whether it be a summer camp, a church group, or just your softball team, when you design custom t-shirts, you are helping to build a team by creating uniforms.

Can be used for promotions:

When you design custom t-shirts in Mississauga with your company’s logo and give them away at promotional events, you create a walking billboard! Giving away screen printed t-shirts with your logo gives your website or company a maximum amount of publicity, as well as creating word-of-mouth buzz!

Custom T-shirts at Apparel Promotion:

When our customers are looking for custom t-shirts in Mississauga, they can have confidence knowing that Apparel Promotion does the highest quality work, and has a team of marketing professionals who can help them create their designs. We take great pride in being able to help our customers create the best possible custom t-shirts that will help their businesses thrive.  We’ve seen firsthand how the power of tangible marketing can elevate a company from a commodity to a valued partner; how it can rescue a business from the trenches of an impossible-to-win price war, and how it can motivate employees and customers alike to become full-fledged fans.

Custom Apparel Mississauga

Custom apparel in Mississauga isn’t just about adding your logo or design to a t-shirt or polo shirt. Adding your logo to a shirt not only lets your brand stand out, but it also helps your team stand together. This is just one of the many benefits of choosing custom corporate uniforms and apparel! From creating unity, to having employees become less stressed, these benefits listed below are just some of the reasons why having custom corporate apparel is beneficial for any company, small or large. Read on for more information about the benefits of custom apparel at Apparel Promotion!

Request a free online quote for custom apparel here!

Boost yourself from ordinary to extraordinary:

Custom embroidery can really enhance corporate apparel. A button down shirt or a casual polo will look more sophisticated with a custom logo embroidered. With a custom embroidered logo on a basic polo will definitely make the polo shirt stand out more. It’s more than just a company logo, if the design is unique it will surely catch the eye of clients, customers, and guests.

Less stress for employees:

Although it may not seem like the primary function for getting your logo embroidered, but having uniforms can help relieve stress on your employees. Picking out an outfit to wear every morning can be stressful, believe it or not. When you give employees corporate apparel that they can wear, your employees will less likely be less stressed when coming into work. Plus, having custom apparel in Mississauga or corporate uniforms can help boost morale by having less fashion competition.

Establish your identity:

Custom corporate apparel and uniforms gives employees an identity. There are many companies that let their employees wear casual or corporate attire everyday. With your logo embroidered on your employees corporate apparel lets them identity with the company and feel as if they are working with the team.

The logo says it all:

Custom embroidery on corporate apparel makes a bold statement about the company, emphasizing that this company is here to stay. The customized logo takes a good deal of planning and having every employee show off that logo on a  daily basis is a long-term way of creating a long-standing brand.

Custom Hats Mississauga

Everyone wants to look appealing nowadays, specifically when it involves hats. There are pale hats, feathered hats, fedoras, baseball caps and more. For businesses, branding is essential, therefore, for a business outing or company event, the boss could wish to get some custom hats in Mississauga with the logo decorated on the front or back. Every local business owner enjoys seeing their logo design “proclaimed” all over town. When they hand out these customized embroidered hats, they know their brand will be spread around the community. They are excited about the direct exposure that a personalized hat can create, from wearing it to a baseball game, or simply out to the grocery store. If you are considering custom hats for your business, we encourage you to choose Apparel Promotion today! Read on for more information about the benefits of custom hats in Mississauga at Apparel Promotion.

Request a free online quote for custom hats here!

They can go anywhere:

Employees go to different places every day. After work, a person may head to the grocery store while wearing his or her custom cap. Some may even go to the football or baseball field to watch their children play. The possibilities of advertising your business with custom hats in Mississauga from Apparel Promotion are just infinite.

Many different types of hats can be customized:

Hats can also be used by people who love the beach. An embroidered straw hat or perhaps a visor provides protection from the heat of the sun. Wearing a hat or any kind of headwear is important when going to the beach. There are a lot of hats available and they come in different colors and styles. Those that are embroidered certainly offer class.

Custom hats can be worn year round:

During the colder months, knit beanies are good promotional items. These beanies are stylish and are worn regularly. There are a lot of colors available, although it typically comes in one size only. This is another option you should consider when embroidering your logo because of its reasonable price. Custom winter hats in Mississauga are great for giveaways, or for employees who have to work outside as part of their job.

Professionalism:

It is a fact that embroidering logos on your customized hats is very important. If the embroidery is quality, it will increase the respect towards your company as well as the employee. It is a classy appearance to have an attractive, yet professional and quality embroidery designs. Business owners should be sure to seek more information from hats embroidery experts on the designs that would maintain a classy and professional look for their staff. Having quality embroidery designs showcases that quality services or goods are offered by your organization which is definitely a boosting factor to the organization’s performance. 

Custom Shirts Mississauga

Branded apparel can have a big impact on any type of business. Any time the business logo and name are put out into the world, the company has a powerful marketing opportunity. Put the business name and logo onto custom shirts in Mississauga, and you can increase brand awareness and promote your business all over town. If you are considering having custom shirts made for your business advertising initiative, then we recommend that you consider Apparel Promotion today! Read on for more information about the benefits of having custom shirts made for your business.

Request a free online quote for custom shirts here!

Custom shirts will unite your team:

Provide employees with branded apparel as a way to unite the team. Matching shirts give everyone a sense of unity. Whether the company is actually participating in a team sport as a company or it’s just creating a more united front, the use of carefully branded shirts will give everyone something in common.

Custom shirts will inspire interest in your company:

Take the time to design eye-catching custom shirts, and the pieces you give out will create an air of interest around town where your company is concerned. Use a catchy phrase or interesting design that will have others asking questions and wondering what the company is all about. Make sure the apparel includes a web page address or phone number so interested parties know how to learn more.

Custom shirts will share your corporate culture:

Your corporate culture is easily demonstrated with the branded clothing that’s used. Polos or button down shirts create a more professional air. Tee shirts are casual and fun. Baseball caps are handy when employees work outside. Use the right apparel to give employees the proper look.

Custom shirts will keep your employees looking uniform:

Give everyone a uniform look with the right branded clothing. Allowing employees to wear their own clothing to work may result in an atmosphere that’s not very cohesive. When customers to come to the office or store, matching shirts on the employees will make them easier to identify.

Custom shirts give loyal customers a way to share:

Branded apparel is a great way for customers to share their enthusiasm about the company. Sell or give away clothing with your brand on it and the company’s biggest fans will instantly become walking brand ambassadors for the company’s products and services.